


leave me breathless

by encoru



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Kyungsoo has no filter, M/M, Smoking, Strangers to Lovers, mentions of alcohol and recreational drug use, striptease
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-28
Updated: 2017-08-28
Packaged: 2018-12-21 01:36:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11933586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/encoru/pseuds/encoru
Summary: Baekhyun's prank for his best friend has been going well until a certain man comes into the picture, knocking the air out of his lungs.





	leave me breathless

**Author's Note:**

> I was minding my own business when I came across [ this](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DID0OjFUwAA-MEL.jpg) and my mind supplied, "this could be a potential Baeksoo prompt!". Thus this fic, semi /self-prompted/ for this round.
> 
> Huge shout-out goes to C for proofreading my fic and being the most enthusiastic beta ever. 
> 
> I swear this fic isn't as "bad" as the tags make it out to be. Enjoy!

“You can’t back out,” Jongdae says under his breath. He places a hand on the small of his back, smoothes out his shirt until it’s pressed flat on his skin and hopes his sweat doesn’t seep through the thin cloth.

Baekhyun nods even though Jongdae can’t see him in the darkness. He’s nervous as fuck; he can feel sweat trickling down his armpits, his temple, and his thighs. It’s hard to breathe when you’re crammed with five more men at least a foot bigger than you in the tiny space of your best friend’s walk-in closet but it’s fine — this is fine. He’s never been one to back out last minute on big plans like this _._ He’s nervous but he’s also thrilled to the bone.

“Steal the spotlight, Byun,” Jongdae whispers in his ear.

“I will.” He wants this as much as Jongdae does.

Baekhyun clenches and unclenches his fists for the last time, blinks his eyes and hopes his eyeliner has stayed intact. Outside, the booming sound of the bass begins to envelop the air until it reaches his eardrums, every beat a thrum that shoots down his veins.

“Go.”

Baekhyun walks out of the doors and goes straight under the blinking neon lights. Together, with five other men more scantily clad than he is, he begins to dance and strip.

 

 

The whole idea was to terrorize Chanyeol at his birthday party.

Hiring strippers was the original plan. And then out of nowhere, while they were discussing the whole thing, Jongdae suggested that they take it up a notch by having Baekhyun join the strippers and do a striptease himself.

At that time, it seemed like a stellar idea. Baekhyun is pretty decent at dancing (even Jongin has said so himself) and he knows at the back of his mind that ever since he watched Magic Mike, he has always wondered how it would feel like to body roll and grind his hips on the floor to the tune of Ginuwine’s “Pony”.

Baekhyun got curious, that’s all. Never mind that he had a slip of the tongue and accidentally told Jongdae about it some time ago. Never mind that Jongdae used this curiosity against him later on.

“It’ll be killing two birds with one stone, Baek,” Jongdae has told him. “You’ll have your inner stripper fantasies finally materialize while you scar Chanyeol for the rest of his life.”

At that time, it seemed like a stellar idea. Really.

But fast forward to the present where Baekhyun finds himself somewhere between shitfaced drunk and shitfaced high, he is beginning to realize that the whole thing is a concept pulled straight out of Jongdae’s ass.

Don’t get him wrong though, he basksin the attention he gets from doing the striptease. He lives in it. As he rolls his hips and feels his abdominal muscles contract, as he feels beads of sweat trickle down the dip of his bare chest — a pair of eyes lands on his body, watching every move he makes, unrelenting. And he loves every bit of it.

What he didn’t come to expect, though, is that the owner of the said pair of eyes would belong to a very _handsome_  man he hasn’t met before.

This said man now has his hand placed firmly on his hips as he grinds down on his lap, seeking friction, all while the latter stares up at him.

The whole idea was to terrorize Chanyeol, Baekhyun reminds himself. But with his current predicament, it feels like the plan totally backfired on him and he is the one who got terrorized, what with completely being blindsided that Chanyeol would have such a hot guest at his birthday party tonight.

They’re inside Chanyeol’s bedroom now, alone and hidden from the rest of their friends who are too busy indulging themselves on alcohol and weed to give two shits about them at this very moment. Baekhyun doesn’t know he exactly ended up here; it’s difficult to process everything when your mind’s too hazy from adrenaline and your veins are thrumming with a kind of energy you can’t place. Everything is just a blur of bodies and laughter that sounds way too loud and close to his ears.

Baekhyun grinds down harder, closer until he feels his confined dick jolt at the contact it makes with the other man’s cock. He places his hands on the man’s shoulders for leverage, rolling his hips just rightso their erections rub together. This elicits a groan from the other man, a sound that shoots straight to Baekhyun’s gut.

The man wraps his arms around him, circling his waist, and pulls him closer so their chests are almost touching. He buries his face on the juncture of Baekhyun’s neck and breathes him in. Baekhyun gasps at the tickling sensation that it leaves on his skin.

“What’s your name, babe?”

Baekhyun flinches but doesn’t stop. He wraps his arms around the man’s neck, lets his mouth ghost over his ear.

He hasn’t told him yet that he’s _not_ a real stripper, which could make things go very, very _wrong_. But then again, he thinks to himself, things started going wrong the moment he entered the room and placed himself on this man’s lap.

“Baekhyun,” He whispers.

“Baekhyun,” The man repeats. There’s something about the way he rolls his name on his tongue that makes Baekhyun want to drop on his knees and suck the living daylights out of him. “Nice to meet you, Baekhyun. I’m Kyungsoo.”

Baekhyun registers the name in his mind. What a way to make a first impression.

He pulls back, causing Kyungsoo to knit his eyebrows in confusion momentarily, but before he could even ask, Baekhyun presses their lips together. It doesn’t take him long to kiss Baekhyun back and open up.

Baekhyun swipes a tongue on his lips— softer and thicker than anything he’s ever kissed— before he lets his tongue roam further into the cavern of Kyungsoo’s mouth. Kyungsoo tastes amazing, it’s a hint of the cheesecake they had earlier, combined with subtle notes of vodka and tobacco. A hand presses to the back of his head. He tilts his head slightly so they could slot their lips more seamlessly, letting Kyungsoo deepen the kiss. He could honestly get addicted to his taste.

They pull apart to catch their breaths. Kyungsoo bumps his forehead against Baekhyun’s until the tips of their nose are touching. Baekhyun hasn’t even noticed that he’s already fisted a handful of Kyungsoo’s shirt, the man's black tie now pulled taut and crumpled in his grip.

Baekhyun gasps when a hand suddenly cups his dick. The hand then worms its way to the hemline of his pants, scrambling to undo the button.

Kyungsoo looks him in the eye. His lips, slick with spit, begin to move. He mouths what appears to be ‘Choke me,’ but Baekhyun isn’t sure.

“Do you really want me to?” He asks.

Kyungsoo nods.

Baekhyun has never done this before but he relents. Anything for this handsome friend of Chanyeol whom he hasn’t been introduced to before until they made the move and did the introduction themselves by rutting against each other.

He places his hands on Kyungsoo’s neck until his fingers are pressed flat on his pressure points, right where his vein is. Baekhyun feels it beat loudly against Kyungsoo’s skin, an indication that he’s very much alive.

Kyungsoo looks at him with such a strong, unreadable gaze so Baekhyun decides to proceed with it. He brings his hands together, adding more pressure on Kyungsoo’s neck until he deems it enough to decrease the wind on his pipeline.

Baekhyun has never met anyone who’s into breath play but he figures there is always a first time for everything. He might be drunk and high but even in his cloudy state of mind, Kyungsoo is too hot to not indulge.

Kyungsoo is still looking at him with that peculiar stare, unmoving, so Baekhyun grinds against him at the same time that he tightens his hold around his neck. Kyungsoo’s eyes widen; a cross of mortification and confusion flashing on his face.

What comes next are strong hands wrapping tightly around Baekhyun’s neck until he feels the air get cut off from his lungs. He’s not sure if breath play works this way, but Kyungsoo’s shocked face is the last thing he sees before his vision turns to black.

 

 

Baekhyun rouses to the sound of birds chirping outside. When he opens one eye, he sees pockets of sunlight streaming through the blinds, illuminating the room that is far too big to be his. He turns on his side and his cheek comes in contact with the soft cloth of the duvet, which suspiciously smells of fresh fabric conditioner. A moment later, the strong scent of breakfast cooking wafts in the air.

This would’ve been the perfect way to wake up, Baekhyun thinks, if not for a head-splitting headache he’s currently nursing.

Suddenly, a flashback of last night’s events come back to him. He jumps out of the bed and dashes outside.

The sight of Chanyeol dressed in pajamas with an apron wrapped around his waist greets him. He’s currently in the middle of flipping his eggs. Perched on the kitchen island is no other than Jongdae, a toast on his mouth.

“What happened?” Baekhyun asks, voice hoarse.

“Eaf first then drink your meds,” Jongdae says through his toast.

“Where’s Kyungsoo?”

At this, Chanyeol turns around and shoots him a deadly look, spatula raised in the air. “Take a seat.”

Baekhyun walks to the table and sits as instructed, avoiding his friend’s eyes as he does so. A shiver runs down his spine and only then that he realizes he’s only wearing his boxers.

Chanyeol places a plateful of eggs (done sunny side-up, the way he likes it) and hotdogs on his side of the table before he takes a seat across from him.

Baekhyun grabs the fork, throws a small smile to Chanyeol’s direction, then chomps down on his freshly cooked breakfast.

“Kyungsoo tried to choke you,” Chanyeol states.

Baekhyun nearly spits his hotdog out mid-bite.

“In a normal situation, I would have called the police and pressed charges for attempted murder against you but none of what happened last night was anything close to normal.” Chanyeol continues. “Kyungsoo told me you did it _first_ so let me ask you Baekhyun, _what happened?_ ”

Baekhyun gulps. He chances a glance at Jongdae, who pretends to be busy sipping on his coffee and only shrugs. Chanyeol rarely gets serious and angry respectively but when he does and it happens to be a combination of _both_ , that’s when it really starts to get scary for Baekhyun.

Maybe they went too far last night. Maybe _he_  did.

“I’m sorry,” He tries. 

Chanyeol sighs, then looks at him like he’s a five-year old who doesn’t understand anything about the world.

“Sorry doesn’t tell me anything, Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun sighs. His head is swimming and he’s probably better off recalling what happened last night when the alcohol has completely dissipated from his body, but he knows Chanyeol deserves an explanation pronto.

“First of all, I’m sorry Chanyeol, because I know I went too far. We didn’t want to turn your party into a complete shitfest — okay, I guess that’s hypocritical of me because I ruined it the moment I started to do a striptease in front of everyone, but that was all there was to it..originally. I overestimated myself, drank too much vodka, and got shitfaced again. You know what happens when I get _real_ drunk. I ran into your really hot friend Kyungsoo and in true Baekhyun fashion, my dick spoke for my brain again.”

“And then?” Chanyeol presses on.

“And then the rest, as the narrators would say, is history.” Baekhyun flashes his friend a smile. “What else do you need to know?”

Chanyeol places a palm over his face, then rubs his temple as if he’s trying to will away a forthcoming headache.

“How did you end up almost murdering each other?”

Baekhyun’s smile slowly fades. Now that’s a question he doesn’t know how to answer.

“He asked me to choke him.” He whispers.

“He, what?!”

“He asked me to _chok_ e him,” Baekhyun repeats, emphasizing on the word to prove his point. “So I did. I’ve never done breathplay but I also don’t kinkshame. Next thing I know, he’s choking me back and that’s when I blacked out. I don’t know what else happened before I woke up.”

Chanyeol scratches the back of his head. He looks like he’s one second from banging his skull on the table.

Jongdae jumps down from his spot on the kitchen island and walks towards them. “Kyungsoo told me what he said to you is ‘show me’. But instead, you started choking him.”

Baekhyun takes a moment to process what Jongdae has just said and then the gears are turning in his head, headache be damned. Kyungsoo mouthed ‘show me’ and his cloudy eyes read it as ‘choke me’, a complete 360-degree turn from what the guy originally intended.

It all makes sense, somehow.

Baekhyun finishes the rest of his breakfast and takes the Advil that Chanyeol has placed on the table along with a glass of water. He wipes his mouth, then asks, “Can you give me his number?”

 

*

 

In the end, Baekhyun comes home empty-handed.

He returns to his apartment well-fed and headache-free, though, because despite the pranks and headassery that Baekhyun pulls on his friends all the time, Chanyeol doesn’t have the heart to kick his best friend out of his house, particularly when said best friend is still recovering from a bad hangover and a “traumatic” experience, as he likes to put it.

They have always been like this, him, Jongdae, and Chanyeol. Always pulling the shittiest of ideas on each other because what fun would it be without a little dose of stupidity every now and then, right? It has started when they were 10 years old and hasn’t stopped until now, even after they already reached the ripe age of 25. They would play pranks, get a little angry sometimes, but in the end it’s still them who would cuddle and comfort each other, because no one else understands what goes on inside their minds better than the three of them.

They’re often called Beagles by the people who know them and to some, that might have been a weird name to describe to a group of three adult, grown men but to them, it’s fine. They’re _fine_.

After a day of consecutively texting his apologies to Chanyeol, Baekhyun finally tries his luck and asks the guy again for Kyungsoo’s number. To which Chanyeol responds with, _Why would I give you his number when you tried to kill each other the last time?_

Okay, so there goes his luck. Baekhyun has tried _several_ times to explain the concept of breathplay and how what happened on his birthday night was a mere exploration of kinks (with the help of Jongdae, even) but Chanyeol only looked at him with mild disgust and concern every time. He’s afraid Chanyeol might call the police for real if he brings up the topic again.

Baekhyun is a resourceful man, to be honest. All it usually takes for him is a few minutes of scouring through his friends’ SNS accounts to locate the person he’s looking for, and then he messages the said person, flirts with them through Instagram or Facebook or whatever, until they give him their number. It’s a piece of cake — usually.

Kyungsoo, however, is a different case.

He has gone through Chanyeol’s Instagram following for what seems like a hundred times already, searched his name on Facebook, but no one who seems remotely anything like him popped up. It’s beyond Baekhyun how anyone could _not_ have a trace of himself on SNS on this day and age.

Maybe he deactivated. Maybe he’s actually a secret spy who keeps an encrypted SNS profile but can access everyone else’s, including Baekhyun’s.

He locks his phone, rolls on his bed, and stares up at the ceiling.

Baekhyun _never_ gives up, but it feels like he has really come to a dead end this time.

“Why must the universe punish me this way?” He asks to no one.

His stomach grumbles in response.

 

As a grown, 25-year old man who lives independently and puts great value on his health and well-being, Baekhyun always believes in the importance of delicious and healthy dinners. Friends and their mothers would tell him it’s always better to cook at home and plan your meals ahead, but he knows that’s a skill he’s yet to gain, an item he still needs to unlock in this never-ending quest called Adulthood. Good friends would tell him to simply put on a subscription on one of those diet meal plans that deliver protein-packed meals to your door seven days a week. While Baekhyun likes getting a six-pack, he still likes to eat better. _Best friends_ would tell him to grab one of the hundred menu flyers pinned stowed in his drawer and just order takeout for dinner.

Baekhyun decides to do the last one mentioned above but discovers he’s run out of red bean ice cream. And the Byun household could never last long without his weekly supply of ice cream.

So with a semi-reluctant heart, he goes out of his apartment and walks to the grocery store, making a mental list of the items he’s going to buy. He knows he may not look the part — he has a terrible reputation of being a homebody who prefers to stay holed up in his apartment after work. But contrary to popular belief, he likes taking leisurely walks to the nearby store and doing his groceries. Grocery shopping is as therapeutic to him as it is to the next person looking at new furniture to buy for their apartment. One of the simple joys of adulthood, he muses.

Baekhyun takes his time on doing his groceries. He grabs a box of red bean ice cream, two packs of instant noodles, a large bottle of soda, and some cans of beer. He debates on getting the new cheesecake flavor of Haagen-Dazs, but decides against it and reminds himself to only stick to his grocery list.

He gets out of the grocery store and is about to walk happily back home when a familiar voice calls out his name.

“Hi, Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun freezes. He slowly turns around.

Standing next to the public ashtray is no other than the man who’s been plaguing his mind for the past few days, a cigarette tucked between his fingers — Kyungsoo.

Baekhyun swallows. That strong pair of eyes is boring holes into him again, as if scanning his body whole.

Maybe the universe cares for him, after all.

Baekhyun walks towards the man. He watches Kyungsoo take a drag and release the smoke in the air before he grinds the butt of the spent cigarette on the ashtray next to him.

“Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun tests his voice, “Why are you here? Have you been following me?”

Kyungsoo’s eyes widen momentarily, incredulous, and then he’s smirking. Baekhyun could seriously punch him right now for being so handsome. “Who gave you that idea? I live here.”

Now it’s Baekhyun’s turn to be incredulous. “You live in this neighborhood? Wow.”

“As luck would have it,” Kyungsoo stares at him, face schooled into a deadpan expression. “Or not, since the last time we met you tried to choke me to death.”

Baekhyun stares back. The corners of Kyungsoo’s mouth turn upwards, then he breaks out into a smile.

“I’m sorry,” Baekhyun apologizes.

“Chanyeol _almost_ called the police on me.”

“I’m so sorry,” Baekhyun feels his cheeks heat up. He could die from the embarrassment. “I was high. And drunk. But I know that doesn’t excuse my actions. I’m so sorry.”

Kyungsoo waves his hand in dismissal. “So was I. But that’s all in the past. I know it’s a misunderstanding.”

Kyungsoo laughs, eyes turning into crescents and cheeks scrunching. It’s a deep, husky laugh that almost stands in contrast to how cute he looks right now, but Baekhyun could only focus on how even his laughter sounds totally attractive.

Baekhyun chuckles and shakes his head. “I couldn’t believe how I heard that as ‘choke me’.”

“I was trying to ask you to show me your dick,” Kyungsoo replies, smiling. The smile quickly fades, though, and a hint of something dark and brooding flashes in his eyes.

Kyungsoo holds his gaze. “But the eyes see what they want to see, sometimes. Do you like choking?”

“No, not at all,” Baekhyun answers. He stares back at Kyungsoo’s face before he lets his eyes wander down, lingering on Kyungsoo’s crotch for a second, before he looks back up on his eyes again. “Not unless it involves _that_.”

“Interesting.”

Baekhyun shakes his head and looks away before he could drown further in Kyungsoo’s eyes. He’s actually really hungry. “I’m afraid I have to go now because it’s dinner time. Unless, uhm, you don’t mind joining me. My apartment is five minutes away from here. Only if you want to, of course.”

Kyungsoo offers an apologetic smile. “I’d love to, but I have friends over.” He fishes something out of his pocket. It’s a phone that he hands to Baekhyun.

“Would you mind giving me your number? It might be too far of a reach to say this after everything we’ve done, but I’m not actually a wine, dine, and 69 kind of guy.”

Baekhyun registers his number on Kyungsoo’s contacts, ecstatic. He can’t believe _this_ is happening. “I know. I’m not a real stripper either, if Chanyeol hasn’t told you yet.”

“He told me. You were so convincing.”

“Thank you,” He smiles, “Maybe I should consider a change of career path.”

“I’d be your first customer.”

“You already were,” Baekhyun reminds him. “But you were drunk.”

“My dick definitely wasn’t, though.”

Baekhyun almost gags. Kyungsoo really doesn’t pull any punches.

“I’m sorry,” he says a beat later. “I don’t want this to be a one-time thing.”

“Me too.”

“See you around, Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo says, a small smile back on his lips. “I’ll text you.”

Baekhyun turns to the direction of his apartment, takes a few steps, hesitates. He turns around and plants a quick kiss on Kyungsoo’s mouth and then runs, his groceries clattering loudly inside his shopping bag.

 

*

 

The text comes the day after, right in the middle of a Sunday afternoon when Baekhyun is dozing off to a Youtube playthrough of Resident Evil 7.

He instantly sits up straight and grabs his phone from under the pillow, the message notification light blinking at him.

 _Hi, Baekhyun,_ the text reads,  _I'm at the Starbucks near the bus stop in our neighborhood. Would you like to join me?_ _-Kyungsoo_

Baekhyun dashes to the bathroom to get ready.

Ten minutes later, he finds himself walking into Starbucks, trying to appear as nonchalant as possible.

He can't help the smile that breaks out on his face, though, when he spots Kyungsoo at one corner of the coffee shop, sitting alone while working on his laptop. He's clad in a white button-down shirt and what suspiciously looks like olive green khakis, thick-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. Baekhyun suddenly regrets settling on his go-to outfit of an oversized shirt and sweatpants today.

Kyungsoo smiles when he sees him, gums and teeth fully showing. Baekhyun tries to ignore the way his heart skips a beat when he notices how adorable Kyungsoo looks. He adjusts his glasses as he watches Baekhyun take the seat across his table.

"Glad you can make it," he says, "I never thought you'd come."

Baekhyun scratches his head, "Sorry, forgot to text you right back. I got ahead myself and just  _ran_ here the moment I saw your text. I don't like to keep people waiting."

Kyungsoo laughs. "That's fine, I was just working on a few reports." Then, he adds, "What do you want? It's my treat. As a way of making up for not accepting your invitation yesterday."

 _You_ , Baekhyun wants to answer. He glances at the menu and pretends to think for a second, even though he knows he'll get his usual order anyway. "A venti Java Chip frappuccino, please."

Kyungsoo flashes a smile again before he gets up to buy Baekhyun's order.

Baekhyun mumbles a soft  _thanks_ when Kyungsoo hands him his frappe. "Working on a weekend?"

"Not really. I'm working on my homework I should've turned in yesterday," Kyungsoo answers. He takes a sip of his coffee, "I had to go here because if I stayed any longer at my apartment, I know I will just procrastinate and stay in bed all day."

Baekhyun chuckles. "Sounds like something I would do. You still in school? Masters?"

"I'm enrolled in an online course. It's not my choice though; my supervisor required me to. I couldn't refuse since the company is paying for it."

"That's cool. Free stuff is cool."

Kyungsoo gives him a helpless smile. "Not when you hate studying like me. I'd rather watch movies."

Baekhyun laughs. "Dude, I feel you. I was actually just falling asleep  _again_ when you texted me. And I've been sleeping all day."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"Nah, it's fine. I stay at home too much when I'm not at work that Chanyeol scolds me for not going out and having a  _life_. Can you believe? I'd rather sleep than be a corporate slave, to be honest."

Kyungsoo nods. "That's just Chanyeol for you."

Baekhyun hums. "I'd rather study than work though. Studying is fun; you get to learn new things and meet new people on a regular basis." 

"I agree," Kyungsoo replies, "I'd rather study you."

Baekhyun's eyes widen, taken aback. It's beyond him how can Kyungsoo can suddenly throw him off-guard like  _that_. He lets the words sink in, then pretends to brush it off altogether. "How long have you been friends with Chanyeol?"

"Two to three years, I think? We met each other back in college."

" _Three years_?" Baekhyun repeats in disbelief. "Three years of not introducing me into your existence even though you've known each other for that long! I'm really gonna punch that guy the next time I see him."

Kyungsoo laughs, cheeks scrunching. Baekhyun really cannot deal with how cute and handsome he is. "I know. But I didn't expect him either to be friends with someone as cute as you."

Baekhyun gulps. The coffee shop is well-ventilated so he doesn't know why he feels his cheeks suddenly heat up. "Honestly, I could say the same thing about you," He takes a sip of his frappe, trying to ignore the pair of eyes currently staring at him, looking completely fond. "Did you just invite me here so you could put off your homework by flirting with me?"

"Maybe," Kyungsoo admits, "Or maybe I just really wanted to see you. And flirt with you. You're fun to be with, Baekhyun."

He flashes Kyungsoo his biggest smile. "Thanks."

They spend the next few hours talking about Chanyeol and work. Baekhyun discovers that Kyungsoo's eyes widen when he's speaking about something he's genuinely interested in, that he has a faint mole located near his cupid's bow, that he tends to clap his hands when he finds something really funny. He shouldn't notice these things, not as much as he does maybe, but he can't help that almost everything Kyungsoo does draws him in, from the simple way he adjusts his glasses to how his lips form a heart shape when he smiles. 

It's almost funny how he feels like he's known the guy for a long time already even though they've only just met. And how he feels so comfortable with him that he managed to open up so easily about his life in the past hour. He thinks he can even narrate his whole life story to Kyungsoo right now, even without being asked.

On their way home, Baekhyun walks Kyungsoo back to his apartment. Kyungsoo insists he shouldn't bother, but Baekhyun says he doesn't mind since it's on the way.

(In actuality, he only wants to prolong his time together with Kyungsoo. But he doesn't tell him that, of course).

Kyungsoo turns to him, a funny look on his face. "You should come over when you get too tired of sleeping at home. I could use some company."

Baekhyun wiggles his eyebrows. "And here I thought you were not a wine, dine, 69 kind of guy?"

Kyungsoo blinks at him. "That's not what I mean."

Baekhyun laughs. "I'm kidding! God, you're so —",  _cute that I want to kiss you senseless,_ "— fun to tease. See you next time, I guess?" 

"Yeah," Kyungsoo smiles. 

Baekhyun turns back and begins to walk away when Kyungsoo grabs him by the arm and plants a chaste kiss on his cheek. "I'll text you again, Baekhyun."

 

 

*

 

Kyungsoo doesn't text him over the next three days after that.

Baekhyun spends the whole time engaging in a staring contest with his phone, waiting for the notification that never comes.

He does his own share of simple texts, nothing too imposing aside from the  _Good morning, have a great day at work!_ and  _don't forget to have dinner ^^_ for fear of bothering Kyungsoo too much.

He assumes maybe Kyungsoo is just too busy with work and school. Or maybe, just maybe, he's simply not interested anymore.

Baekhyun wants to pull at his hair.

It’s actually weird that he’s now checking his phone for message notifications every now and then when all he used to look forward to were updates from the COC loot forecaster. The last message he remembers anticipating this much is a text from a potential employer, which is probably around two years ago already.

To some of his friends, that might seem sad. And pathetic. And cruel. And whichever demeaning adjective they could think of when it comes to describing Baekhyun’s love life — or the lack thereof. Normally, he doesn’t give two shits about dating. He’s a grown man who knows what he wants and _how_ to get what he wants. All it takes is a few exchanges of flirty messages before the person deems him worthy of a hook-up and invites him to their place. No fuss, no frills. No dating involved.

This is why Baekhyun fails to comprehend why he spends so much of his time thinking about when will Kyungsoo’s text finally come. Kyungsoo seems like a man of his word, but he could also be a total asshole. Baekhyun doesn’t know what it is, but something about the man makes him want to try to _date_ him. Which is, to be perfectly honest, already a problematic idea in itself.

Not that he thinks Kyungsoo is problematic. The man seems nice if his friendship with Chanyeol is any proof. Chanyeol never befriends the bad guys. Jongdae might be the only exception to this rule, but even Baekhyun is friends with the guy.

 _Feelings_ are what makes this whole situation problematic.

“I don’t understand,” Baekhyun tells Jongdae while he stares at his phone, “We rubbed our dicks one time and then I’m what, in love? Is that what you’re saying? Does his dick secrete some kind of love potion or something?”

He whines, then bangs his head on his desk. “I did not even get to suck his dick.”

Beside him are a rustling of papers and a drawer opening and closing. Jongdae is probably packing up now to leave, the asshole. He could use a minute or two to sit down in their office longer and listen to Baekhyun’s growing problem.

“What I’m saying is, maybe your heart dictates that he’s the _one_. I don’t know how it happens but it’s not totally unheard of — maybe you did fall heads over heels for him. Maybe you were affected by his pheromones and you fell in love at first sight. Or at first grind. I don’t know, Baekhyun,” Jongdae says above him.

Baekhyun turns to his side, cracks one eye open to look at his friend. “If this is really love, then why hasn’t he texted me yet?”

As if on cue, Baekhyun’s phone lights up at that very moment. He straightens up and unlocks his phone. It’s a text message from Kyungsoo.

 _I’m outside your building. Want to have ramen for dinner? ,_ the message reads.

Jongdae peers over his shoulder then smirks. “Well, there goes your answer. I’m going ahead, Baekhyun. Enjoy your date.”

Baekhyun packs his stuff in lightning speed. _I’m coming_ , he texts back.

 

Baekhyun finds Kyungsoo in the smoking lounge outside his building. Similar to how he saw him the other day, he’s standing right next to an ashtray, cigarette dangling from his lips. He takes a few puffs, releases the smoke in the air, eyebrows knit in concentration as he watches the smoke dissipate. He quickly puts out his cigarette when he spots Baekhyun.

“Do you just take smoke breaks while following me?”

Kyungsoo smirks. Baekhyun thinks he looks more impeccably handsome in his black & white suit and tie. “Who says I’m following you? My office is nearby.”

Baekhyun nods. “So not only do we have the same friends but we also live in the same neighborhood and now, we work in the same district too? What kind of serendipity shit is this?”

Kyungsoo shrugs. “I don’t know. Do you believe in that stuff? I’ve always believed that humans determine their own fate. We make our own decisions. Destiny is just part of the ride.”

“You’re saying your presence here, right outside my office building, is from your own deliberate decision.”

“Of course,” Kyungsoo smiles. “Because I wanted to see you, Baekhyun. I told you I’d text you, didn’t I?”

Baekhyun blinks. Now if that didn’t just make his heart do a double back-flip and then some.

He opens his mouth to say something, but his stomach beats him to it, grumbling loudly in betrayal. Kyungsoo lets out that deep, attractive laughter of his again and Baekhyun would say it gives him butterflies in the stomach, but he knows it’s just hunger gnawing on him.

“To be honest, I have a neutral stance about fate and all that shit, but I know my stomach is predestined to demand for the food it needs right now.”

“I know a good ramen place nearby,” Kyungsoo says, eyes never leaving Baekhyun’s form.

“Let’s go.”

 

Kyungsoo takes him to the new ramen shop located three blocks away from his office. He’s been eyeing the place since it had its soft launch some two weeks ago, but has never gotten around to invite any of his friends to try it with him. Jongdae is always too busy going on dates with his girlfriend, Chanyeol is preoccupied helping his mom manage the family’s restaurant, and the rest of his friends are just too lame.

The weather must have read the mood because when he glances outside, the skies suddenly open up to a downpour. The clouds have already been overcast this morning and usually, Baekhyun dislikes the rain, but it makes him feel better about their chosen place for dinner, somehow.

Baekhyun couldn’t be more excited when a waiter hands him the menu. It must have been visible on his face because Kyungsoo asks, “Are you a ramen kind of person?”

“I’m a food kind of person.” He answers, grinning.

Kyungsoo chuckles at that. “Good. Me too.”

They give their orders to the waiter. After a while, Baekhyun speaks up.

“Do you know I’ve always wanted try to this place? But none of my friends were available to come with me.”

“Really?” Kyungsoo beams. “So tonight is a good call, then.”

“Yeah. I’m actually excited for the food.”

“Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo says with a kind of tone that makes Baekhyun look into his eyes. There’s a hint of fondness laced underneath and something else he can’t place. “I can always come with you if you want to try a new restaurant.”

Baekhyun smiles. “Noted on that. I love eating.”

Kyungsoo smiles back, lips forming into a heart shape. Baekhyun thinks it's adorable. “I love eating too. And cooking.”

“You cook? You should teach me one of these days then —”

“And I’d love to be with you.”

Baekhyun _almost_ gags. “Wait, _what_?!”

Kyungsoo closes his eyes, then locks his gaze with Baekhyun. Here go those powerful eyes again, which Baekhyun doesn’t mind getting lost into.

“I said,” Kyungsoo enunciates more slowly, “I want to be with you.”

Their food finally arrives — two steaming bowls of ramen that smell nothing short of amazing. Baekhyun feels his appetite grow at the mere sight of the delicious meal.

He looks at his own bowl of ramen, then at Kyungsoo. “Are you sure that’s just not hunger?”

Kyungsoo sighs. “What makes you think I’m doing this out of hunger?”

“I turn into a total monster when I’m not fed on time,” Baekhyun tries to explain, gears turning inside his head faster than usual, “What if you turn into a total _sap_ when you’re hungry? No judgment. Everyone is different.”

Kyungsoo snorts. “Can’t a man just sincerely say that he wants to be with you, Baekhyun?”

There it is again. That thing that Kyungsoo does that makes Baekhyun’s heart do flips and cartwheels. They have only met in three occasions so far but if Kyungsoo keeps this up, Baekhyun’s heart would become a master at gymnastics.

“I get it..but _why_?”

Kyungsoo scratches his forehead. “I wish I knew either. But I haven’t stopped thinking about you ever since that night. I know that might sound weird based on how we started, but it’s how I truly feel. I feel so at ease with you, if that makes sense?”

He glances at the windows. The rain has mellowed down to an ambient drizzle now.

“Forget I even said anything,” Kyungsoo adds. “Let’s just enjoy our food. I’m sorry if I was too forward.”

Baekhyun begins to slurp on his ramen; the thick, flavorful broth a pleasant taste on his tongue. The food is great but somehow, he can’t stop thinking about what Kyungsoo has just told him, about wanting to be _with_ him. As he slurps on his noodles, he thinks about the way Kyungsoo followed through with his word and have dinner with him like this, as if they’re on an actual date, if anyone could even call it that.

Baekhyun is no stranger to the feeling of want; he’s used to people wanting him. But people taking their _time_ to get to know him, people other than his friends who tell him outright that they crave his company — that’s what makes this whole thing strange, if a little exciting.

“So,” he speaks up after finishing his entire bowl of ramen, “What do you love to cook?”

Kyungsoo beams at him.

 

Kyungsoo, Baekhyun learns later that night, has an extensive knowledge about Japanese food and everything else in between. Name a dish and he probably knows where to have it best ( _“There’s a katsu restaurant near our neighborhood that you really, really need to try”_ ) and how to cook it. If he doesn’t, then trust him to add it to his growing bucket-list of recipes to try and learn, because that’s simply how he is as a person. Once he gets a taste of something he likes, he studies it hard and well, until he learns the trick on how to make the dish become his.

Baekhyun is starting to think that Kyungsoo has the same approach when it comes to dating, as he finds himself walking side-by-side with him on the stretch of the river in the city. Kyungsoo suggested that they go for a short walk after dinner and here they are now, still clad in their corporate clothes, bottles of beer on hand, as they walk and talk further about themselves. It’s a chilly Wednesday evening; the night air is colder than usual because of the rain they had earlier.

It’s getting quite late and they still have work tomorrow but killing time with Kyungsoo like this..it’s nice. Baekhyun thinks he doesn’t really mind.

“I’m sorry if I’m awkward,” Kyungsoo says, “I’m probably boring you.”

Baekhyun shakes his head. “If there’s anyone who’s awkward here, it’s me. You’re doing great, to be honest.”

Kyungsoo smiles at this. “I guess we can agree to be pleasantly awkward together.”

Baekhyun laughs. Kyungsoo sits on a bench and Baekhyun follows him. “I’m actually quite jealous of you, Kyungsoo.”

“About what?”

“About the way you say things.”

Kyungsoo snorts, runs his hand over his combed hair. “My friends have told me before that I have no filter. That I’m disgustingly honest, and one day, I might hurt people because of it. I’m working on it, to be frank, but it’s not easy.”

Baekhyun hums. “I can only imagine. My friends have told me I have no filter too, but for entirely different purposes.”

“You have no filter in what?”

“Sexual innuendos, I think? Shameless flirting?”

“Ahhh,” Kyungsoo replies, lips forming into a lazy smile. Baekhyun really _hates_ how attractive he looks. “That figures.”

“Tsk, I thought you were on my side the whole time.”

They let silence envelop them for a moment. It’s been years since Baekhyun has done anything remotely like this, perhaps why he’s acting this way. When you’ve been living on your own for God knows for how long; doing perfectly fine in your tiny bubble composed of work, a small circle of friends, and your own terrible brand of humor, and then out of nowhere, some guy who claims to be _genuinely_ interested in you suddenly comes and sweeps you off your feet, how would you feel? You’d either open up because you didn’t realize how long you’ve wanted this until it’s here. Or you’d close down because you’re scared and you’d feel terrible about not living up to his expectations and your fantasies.

Baekhyun thinks he’s at the crossroad between both.

“Do you mind?” Kyungsoo asks beside him, snapping him out of his thoughts. He gestures to his pack of menthol cigarettes and lighter. Baekhyun silently shakes his head.

Baekhyun watches Kyungsoo take out one stick from the pack, place it between his lips, light it, and take a drag. He slowly releases the puff of smoke in the air, letting the wind carry it away from them.

“Why do you smoke?” Baekhyun asks.

Kyungsoo shrugs. “To help me relax.”

“Do I make you nervous?”

“Can I answer you based on a scale?”

Baekhyun giggles. “Okay. On a scale of one to five, with five being the highest, how much do I make you nervous, Kyungsoo?”

Kyungsoo takes another drag before answering. “Five.”

Baekhyun’s eyes widen. “Why? I don’t bite, you know.” He quirks his eyebrows suggestively.

“You don’t bite, but you choke.”

He punches him lightly on the shoulder. “Hey! I thought we’re over that!”

Kyungsoo laughs. Kyungsoo laughs a lot when they’re together, Baekhyun notices, and it only makes the rhythm of his heartbeat go askew every time. It’s a pleasant sound to his ears, something that he could definitely start getting used to.

Kyungsoo puts a wave of dismissal. “I’m kidding, I’m sorry.” He rubs his palms together, then clenches his fist and unclenches. “I don’t know how to answer that, Baekhyun.”

“Just be disgustingly honest with me. I swear I won’t mind.”

Kyungsoo heaves a deep sigh. He looks like he’s having difficulty in articulating the words he’s going to say.  

“I think you’re really, really _cute.”_

Baekhyun’s breath hitches.

“Your smile makes me feel a thing here, I think,” Kyungsoo gestures to his heart. “This might be being too forward or I’m going too fast, but whenever we’re together, I feel a sort of comfort that I haven’t felt with anyone else. Like I can just be myself with you and do all of this with you. And it puzzles me because we’ve only just met, but this is also the reason why I want to know you more and spend more time with you Baekhyun — if you’d allow me, that is.”

Kyungsoo looks at him, the corners of his mouth turning downwards. For the first time since they met, he looks genuinely embarrassed. “Is that disgustingly honest enough for you?”

“I really, really _like_ you.”

“What —”

Baekhyun locks eyes with Kyungsoo, unmindful of getting completely lost in the latter’s eyes this time. If this is how drowning feels then so be it, he doesn’t care anymore.

“Will it help you relax better if I kiss you?”

“Baekhyun, I...” Kyungsoo blinks at him, then something flashes in his eyes when Baekhyun’s proposal fully sinks in. “Is that your way of making me cut my bad habit?”

Baekhyun slowly takes away the cigarette from Kyungsoo’s fingers. “No. But I intend to become one of your bad habits as well.”

Kyungsoo smiles, scoots closer, eyes darting towards Baekhyun’s lips. “You’re seriously someone I could get addicted to.”

And then he closes the distance between their lips. Kyungsoo tastes like the ramen and menthol cigarettes he just had, but Baekhyun likes it all the same. He takes his time in mapping the outline of Kyungsoo’s mouth with his tongue, relents when Kyungsoo places a hand on the back of his head to pull him closer so he could angle the kiss deeper.

Kyungsoo kisses him hard and deep but it’s different from the first kiss they shared, back when their senses were heightened by alcohol and weed that all they could focus on was their arousal. Now, as Kyungsoo kisses him hard and he kisses with the same fervor back, it’s hard to ignore the heat that is beginning to pool at the bottom of his gut, but he thinks there might also be something else. He feels a surge of electricity spark up on his skin every time Kyungsoo licks his bottom lip, but he also feels his chest clench when the thought of not feeling those soft lips again — of not seeing Kyungsoo again — flashes in his mind.

“Do you feel more relaxed now?” Baekhyun asks when they part to catch their breaths, heart beating loudly in his ears.

“No,” Kyungsoo answers, breathless, “Not yet.” He reclaims Baekhyun’s lips with his again.

 

*

 

“I don’t understand where this is going, Chanyeol,” Baekhyun whines, face buried on the comfortable pillows of his best friend’s bed. Chanyeol invited him to come over to play the latest sequel of Yakuza Kiwami on his PS4, but the moment the latter brought up the topic of Kyungsoo, Baekhyun decided planking on the bed is far more interesting than playing a newly released video game.

“You’re infatuated with Kyungsoo,” Chanyeol answers from the foot of the bed, eyes still glued on his tv screen.

Baekhyun sighs. As if he already doesn’t know that.

A moment later, he asks, “Are we moving too fast?”

Baekhyun hears what seems to be ambient street sound, soon replaced by typical video game combat noises.Chanyeol groans. “You choked each other on your first meeting.”

“We have already moved on from that.”

“Then I don’t see what’s the problem, Baekhyun.” Chanyeol puts down his controller and looks at him. “You’re two responsible adults and I trust you both know what you’re doing. Dating has no definite rules nor standard pace. If you feel like putting out on the first date, then so be it.”

Baekhyun rolls so he’s lying on his back, stares at the ceiling. “Chanyeooool,” he whines.

“Nah, I’m kidding dude. Or not,” Chanyeol flashes him a cheeky grin, to which he rolls his eyes. “But seriously, Baekhyun. You like him, he likes you. Why should you hold yourself back?”

Baekhyun blinks at the white light above him, letting himself to stare into the void. “I don’t want to deal with feelings anymore.”

Chanyeol chuckles. “You’re going on a date with him this Saturday.”

 

*

 

Saturday comes faster than Baekhyun would have preferred. Their first actual ‘date’, as Chanyeol had called it, consists of Kyungsoo coming over to his apartment and cooking him a feast like he promised to. The plan is to learn new tips and tricks from watching Kyungsoo cook, stuff themselves with meat, and watch a Netflix movie after. It’s really plain and simple — nothing over-the-top romantic — but the thought still makes Baekhyun’s heart do backflips and all that jazz.

The advantage of living alone is that no one chastises him for changing his shirt five times in a row for a date even though he’s only staying at home. The disadvantage of living alone is that no one tells him to stop.

Baekhyun is fixing the collar of a white dress shirt he has put on for the fifth time when he hears the doorbell ring. He thinks _oh shit, this is it_ as he makes his way to the door, trying not to bounce in his step and appear too ecstatic.

When he opens the door, Kyungsoo is standing outside, dressed in a soft, blue cotton sweater. He looks young and handsome and perfect and everything else that Baekhyun has ever wanted that it leaves him breathless. It’s amazing how Kyungsoo has a way of knocking the air out of his lungs, even if he’s just standing there in his doorway, looking like his perfect, perfect self.

“What did you bring?”

Kyungsoo shows him the grill he’s hiding behind his back, smiling. “We’re going to have an amazing yakiniku party.”

Baekhyun beams. “Come in.”

He has half the mind to usher in Kyungsoo and close his apartment door before he kisses him senseless, his heart swelling with his happiness.

He slots his lips seamless against Kyungsoo’s, relishing in the now familiar mold of Kyungsoo’s mouth. Kyungsoo tastes like a faint note of menthol toothpaste, different from how he tasted before, but Baekhyun finds that he loves it all the same. Kyungsoo’s mouth is enough to make him heady and intoxicated, stirring a different kind of pleasure from within the deep recesses of his being, causing him to grab a fistful of Kyungsoo’s shirt as he presses their bodies closer.

When they part, both of them are panting for air. Kyungsoo gently rests his forehead against his, smiling widely.

“What do you want to do tonight, my _gues_ t?” Baekhyun asks him.

Kyungsoo snakes an arm around his waist. “Dinner, Netflix, and a lot of dick-sucking.”

Baekhyun _almost_ chokes.


End file.
